This year the Royal Academy of Art celebrates its 330th anniversary. The academy is the oldest existing art academy in the Netherlands. Through the digitization project ‘VeleHanden’ a long cherished wish of the KABK is being fulfilled: to disclose its broad and long history by mapping who taught and studied at the Academy.

With the help of volunteers the existing archive will be scanned and made searchable, first of all by name and year of registration. The results will be made available through a publicly accessible database. The total amount of alumni since 1682 is being estimated to be more than 30.000 people, including many national and internationally renowned artists.

If you’re interested in the history of KABK and like to participate in the project you can sign-up at www.velehanden.nl, because: many hands make work light!